And I must say, there really is something to be said for, you know, just telling people about your book.

I happen to know a couple of people based in Coventry, which led to me reading from A is for Angelica at the city’s literary festival earlier this year. And the publicity generated by that must have helped spread the word about the novel.

I also found that, when the novel launched, lots of friends bought it, as you might expect. But something else happened. Lots of my friends’ friends bought it and read it too. People I don’t know. People I’ve never met.

None of this is especially illuminating, but it’s worth remembering that, for all the detailed marketing and publicity planning in the world, you can’t beat good, honest word of mouth.

Tell people about your work. They might just like it and tell someone else. Who might then, in turn, pass the message on again. You know how it works.

I’ll let you know if A is for Angelica magically transforms from a nominee into a winner if and when the time comes.